– Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Established in 1987, The Country Hen® farm is located on 35-acres in the small town of Hubbardston, Massachusetts, population 4,500. The farm, which features 105,000 laying hens, is idyllically located between the largest reservoir (Quabbin) in the state and two tracts of forest land managed by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game and Wildlife Preservation agencies.
“Our location in this temperate climate zone was most responsible for the breeds of hens we care for – Hyline Brown, Isa Brown, and Bovan Brown hens – who have hardier constitutions that make them better suited to seasonal weather changes,” says Bob Beauregard, General Manager for The Country Hen farm. “Regardless, we still need to provide our hens with heated homes when winter settles in.
Beginning a career in farming
Bob served in the U.S. Navy and worked at a steel plant and a pallet manufacturing plant before landing a job at The Country Hen farm in 1995 as the feed and operations manager. “It was a great fit that allowed me to put my experience with mechanical equipment to rewarding and spiritually fulfilling practical use,” says Bob.
Bob says he learned everything there is to know about caring for laying hens from the farm’s founder, George Bass, who spent a lifetime caring for farm animals. By age nine, George was raising a pig, some piglets, a steer, some turkeys, and laying hens on his family’s property in Bridgeton New Jersey. As an adult, George founded and ran a conventional egg production business called “The Golden Egg” for many years in Bogotá, Columbia. Looking forward to retirement, he sold that business and returned to the U.S.
“But George was never one to sit idle, and before long he decided he missed caring for animals and the farming lifestyle,” says Bob. “He started looking for a small farm to raise hens, and settled on Hubbardston, Massachusetts.”
Before the advent of the internet or social media, George included little notes, now called Farm News inserts, in each carton of eggs. Since 1989, these inserts have educated consumers on what makes The Country Hen farm’s eggs so special and what’s happening on the farm. “These inserts have been so successful, other producers have copied the practice,” says Bob. “That is the highest form of flattery.”
Ensuring the welfare of laying hen
George turned the farm over to Bob in 2003. Bob admits there have been a lot of changes in public perception, certification standards and egg safety regulations since then “that keeps us on our toes,” says Bob. “Cage-Free and Certified Organic egg production is very different and offers many more challenges than conventional production. We strive to meet or exceed the exacting standards for egg safety set down by the FDA, and the standards required to be certified organic through the USDA, and to meet or exceed all rules, regulations and civic responsibilities that are unique to our location.”
For example, Bob says the farm is extra vigilant in preventing contamination of the soil and groundwater from things like nitrogen, phosphorus, Salmonella Enteriditis and other biological contaminants that can be very harmful to human health and the environment. So, they created a manure management program to prevent contamination of the groundwater.
The need to prevent contamination of the water inspired the development of their “porch system,” which provides safe outdoor access for the hens on specially-designed raised, wooden porches. These porches manage the manure safely by virtually eliminating all risk of run-off carrying any contaminants into the public drinking water supply. “The most fundamental basic purpose behind organic farming is and has always been a crusade to preserve natural resources of soil, water and air,” says Bob.
The farm also implements stringent biosecurity measures to preserve the health and well-being of their laying hens. They developed a tiered biosecurity system that not only shelters their hens from exposure to disease but responds to changes in the threat levels that come twice a year with the annual migration of wild waterfowl that are known carriers of Avian Influenza and other devastating diseases.
“In our efforts to ramp up our biosecurity during the Avian Influenza endemic of 2015, we left no stone unturned when exploring ways to keep our ladies safe from their wild waterfowl cousins migrating overhead,” says Bob. “We purchased some coyote decoy manikins to deter waterfowl from coming too close to the man-made pond that serves as a source of water for firefighters to use in the event of a fire. It seemed to be working well enough as we saw no geese or ducks landing near the water after we positioned our artificial “guard dogs.” It turns out that turkeys are a bit more difficult to fool. They decided the decoy coyote manikins were very comfortable places to perch and they sat right on top of them. We had to add a few fake owls, and some Mylar balloons that look like giant eyes to encourage the turkeys to move along elsewhere.”
Meeting Certified Humane Animal Care Standards
The staff inspect the hen’s living environment multiple times each day, monitoring and recording ambient temperature, air quality, feed levels, and water quality. Blood tests are conducted at intervals during the hen’s development, and all of this is reviewed and checked regularly by a veterinarian.
When The Country Hen farm joined the Certified Humane program in 2017, Bob said “the standards and mission of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) might well have been modeled after the practices and procedures we have had in place all along. It certainly is not difficult to comply with HFAC’s Animal Care Standards that were already and had always been standard operating procedures here. The hens are our operation. We rely on them for our livelihood, and without them we’re nothing. Keeping them safe, happy, and healthy is our top priority.”
Another way The Country Hen farm keeps hens healthy and happy is by operating an on-site mill, which combines locally-sourced certified organic ingredients to create a proprietary blend of certified organic feed. The feed formulas designed by George Bass, with the help of specialists in human and animal nutrition working and testing tirelessly for countless hours, are all designed to provide optimum nutrition for their hens at every stage of their development and growth.
“We do not wonder what our girls are eating or drinking, or if they are getting appropriate nutrition,” says Bob.” “We know what they are eating, how old or fresh the feed might be and from whence each ingredient came. We inspect each ingredient and samples are tested at the time of delivery to be sure it is top quality.”
As a result, Bob says their eggs provide all three Omega-3s (DHA, EPA, ALA) and impressive amounts of Vitamin D, Choline, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
Employing family and local residents to work on the farm
Because animal husbandry is a top priority for the farm, The Country Hen farm has an intensive hiring process, which involves an extensive background check, drug and alcohol screenings, supervised orientation, hands-on training, regular safety in-services and one-to-one instruction on every aspect of humane hen care.
Some of the farm’s 35 employees are residents, some are family members who work in any capacity as needed. “Nepotism may not be ideal in other types of industry, but it works splendidly on a farm,” says Bob. “Not only do siblings, children, grandchildren and other extended family members tend to jump right in to help each other out when needed, there is also the added benefit or coincidence that all seem to share the same understanding and love of the farming lifestyle and the same compassion for animals.”
As a major employer in Hubbardston, The Country Hen farm has been recognized by the community for numerous contributions and volunteer work. In 2017, Bob himself was the recipient of the town’s prestigious Citizen of the Year award on behalf of the farm’s community service in Hubbardston.
The Country Hen farm eggs are sold in more than 20 states up and down the East Coast and as far west as California. They are sold in cartons of six rather than by the dozen.
Visit Certified Humane’s “Where to Buy” page or download the free Certified Humane app to find stores near you where you can purchase Country Hen Farm eggs and support a Certified Humane farm.
For more information, visit The Country Hen farm.
Posted: August 16, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Nature’s Yoke
Nature’s Yoke Organic, Legacy, and Omega-3 Free-Range eggs are 100% Certified Humane® and produced by a four-generation, family-run business which began in 1963 and is located in New Holland, Pa. With the mission of supporting local farmers and investing in the local community, Nature’s Yoke is committed to sustainable farming, the ethical treatment of animals, and good stewardship and innovation.
nature’s yoke Legacy Free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range hens are raised on Certified Humane® family farms, which means there are no cages and the hens have access to outdoor spaces for at least 6 hours per day. Except, of course, when it’s very cold or very hot outside. When hens are indoors, they get the extra special care that Certified Humane® requires including roomy nesting boxes, places to perch, dust-bathe, and no overcrowding. These days, more and more consumers are aware of how hens are raised at conventional farms, and, as a result, have decided to buy only free-range eggs. These consumers have made it clear they care about the humane treatment of animals but they also need to balance how much they spend on eggs against other things their family needs. Nature’s Yoke Legacy Free-Range Eggs provide that balance because the hens that are lovingly cared for and meet all the requirements of Certified Humane® — without the extra cost of pasture-raised or organic.
nature’s yoke Organic free-range eggs:
Nature’s Yoke Organic Free-Range Eggs are USDA Certified Organic. Raised on small family farms with lots of space to roam, organic free-range hens are fed an all-organic, non-GMO diet. Additionally, Nature’s Yoke organic free-range farms are Certified Humane® so both the hens and the organic free-range brown eggs they lay are cared for at the highest standard.
NAture’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs:
All eggs contain some Omega-3, but Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs give you and your family even more of the Omega-3 benefits doctors and other health and wellness professionals have been talking about for decades. Just like Nature’s Yoke Legacy and Organic eggs, their Omega-3 Free-Range hens live on Certified Humane® family farms where they have access to outdoor range areas for at least 6 hours per day, weather permitting, and are able to engage in natural behaviors at all times. Simply put, Nature’s Yoke Omega-3 Free-Range Eggs are an easy and delicious way to get more Omega-3 into your diet.
To learn more, visit their website at: www.naturesyoke.com
Posted: August 2, 2018 by Certified Humane®
La Granja Gallinas Libres
La Granja Gallinas Libres now is Certified Humane®
As part of its philosophy, the company is dedicated to a high ethical standard of egg production and animal welfare observance as well as compliance with sanitary requirements, biosecurity and food safety regulations. “We want to reinforce to our customers and consumers our commitment to sustainable and responsible egg production,” the company says.
When founded almost 80 years ago, the company produced feed for farm animals. Forty years later, they expanded their operations to produce eggs. Moreover, they were the first farm in Chile to import specific genetic lines of laying hens for egg production.
In 2006, the Group acquired La Granja Ltda., a company exclusively dedicated to the production, processing and commercialization of eggs and egg products. In 2013, due to changes in the poultry industry, specifically related to production systems, it decided to be a pioneer in the production and marketing of eggs coming from these cage-free alternative systems. Adopting this alternative cage-free housing meant their laying hens could engage in their natural behaviors, like flapping their wings and perching, in a comfortable and protected environment. In new state-of-the-art aviaries equipped with automated collection systems, modern climate controls for optimum ventilation and thermal protection, Certified Humane® standards are easily met which improve the lives and comfort of the birds.
Motivated by the growing demand for food produced in a sustainable and animal welfare responsible way, the company started marketing its first cage-free eggs under the brand “La Granja Gallinas Libres” (LGGL) in 2013.
In 2018, La Granja joined the Certified Humane® program to show consumers their deep commitment to farm animal welfare and mission to provide a sustainable, responsible and humane environment for their laying hens .
“They understood that consumers drive this market and are demanding that eggs come from cage-free hens,” says Luiz Mazzon, Director of Instituto Certified Humane Brasil. “While La Granja adopted the cage-free system several years ago, it will be the Certified Humane® label on their egg cartons that will give consumers the reassurances that all aspects of the hen’s care, from housing and feeding to light and air quality, are being met every day on their farms.”
La Granja provides on-going and frequent staff training on care for the birds which has resulted in generating a bond between the laying hens and the workers. The company believes the welfare of their workers, their birds and the environment are all fundamental. Their mission is to maintain sustainable production, respect health standards, while utilizing the best cage-free systems available in the industry.
La Granja Gallinas Libres is available in four main supermarket chains with the broad coverage nationwide. They also are meeting the growing interest of food manufacturers who wish to use cage-free eggs as an ingredient in other egg products.
To learn more, visit their website at: www.la-granja.cl.
Posted: June 20, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Avícola Coliumo
Avícola Coliumo, San Carlos, Chillán, Chile
Avícola Coliumo raises 30,000 Certified Humane® hens on a 1,300 hectare egg farm in San Carlos, Chillán, Chile. The farm got its start in 1962 by Don Patrico Reyes, the father of the current owner, Felipe Reyes. Reyes remembers the early days, working alongside his dad and taking care of their 100-bird flock.
At 24, Reyes took over some of the farm’s management, which had grown from 100 to 15,000 hens. “In the beginning, we had the help of local workers, many of whom still work with us today,” says Reyes. “Little by little, we automated our system to improve the quality of care for the hens.”
Over the years, Avícola Coliumo has set the standard in Chile for implementing state-of-the-art technology in all stages of the egg-laying process, from sowing grains and feeding the hens to selecting and packaging eggs that are distributed from the Santiago Metropolitan area to the Lakes region.
Today, Reyes and his two daughters, Javiera and Antonia Reyes, are the third generation to operate the farm, along with 130 employees, many of who have been working on the farm since it was formed. Antonia, a veterinarian, wanted to see the hens free of their cages, so traveled to the U.S. and Europe to learn about the various multi-level cage-free aviary systems.
In 2018, she brought the new cage-free multi-level aviary system to Avícola Coliumo – the first such system in South America – to better provide for the hens’ natural behaviors. Some of the new additions included perches so the hens can roost, wood chip beds that allow the hens to dust bathe and scratch, and nests, which stimulate pre-laying and egg laying behaviors, Reyes says. The new line of cage-free eggs, called “La Castellana,” fits with the farm’s goal of providing a better quality of life for their hens.
“We believe that our birds deserve respectful treatment, since they are sentient beings just like us,” says Reyes. “When they cannot perform certain natural behaviors, they feel frustrated, which is detrimental to their welfare. By providing them with a cage-free aviary, we can support their natural behaviors.”
Once the cage-free aviary was in place, Reyes applied to Certified Humane® for certification. “I learned about Certified Humane® during a trip to the USA to learn about aviary systems,” says Reyes. “This organization has such great reach and relevance in the aviary industry in terms of animal welfare. When I read their Animal Care Standards, I realized they promoted animal welfare in an excellent way and gave us benchmarks, so we could properly manage our hens in a more humane way.”
Avícola Coliumo doesn’t just have the first multi-level aviary system in South America, but it also has solar panels, which supply 100% of the energy for the cage-free production. “We are measuring our carbon footprint and are the first laying hens farm in Chile to do so,” says Reyes.
The cage-free eggs will be sold in the HORECA channel: Hotels, Restaurants and Casinos, as well as at Walmart and other supermarket chains. For more information, visit www.huevoslacastellana.com.
To learn more, visit their website at: http://huevoscoliumo.cl/
Posted: May 10, 2018 by Certified Humane®
Teton Waters Ranch
Teton Waters Ranch produces 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, fully cooked beef products, including sausages, meatballs and frankfurters. Originally founded on a ranch in the Teton Valley of Idaho, Teton Waters Ranch has grown to become a leading brand of 100% grass-fed beef in the U.S.
Teton Waters Ranch is working to increase availability of and consumer demand for grass-fed beef. Retail sales of grass-fed beef in the U.S. has doubled each year since 2013, growing at 101 percent per year, with Teton Waters Ranch leading growth in their product categories.
For more information, please visit Teton Waters Ranch
Find Teton Waters Ranch products in grocery stores across the US by visiting the brand locator at certifiedhumane.org/ shop/ or by downloading the free mobile app certifiedhumane.org/download-our-mobile-app/.
Posted: May 4, 2018 by Certified Humane®
The Country Hen
– Hubbardston, Massachusetts
“Our location in this temperate climate zone was most responsible for the breeds of hens we care for – Hyline Brown, Isa Brown, and Bovan Brown hens – who have hardier constitutions that make them better suited to seasonal weather changes,” says Bob Beauregard, General Manager for The Country Hen farm. “Regardless, we still need to provide our hens with heated homes when winter settles in.
Beginning a career in farming
Bob served in the U.S. Navy and worked at a steel plant and a pallet manufacturing plant before landing a job at The Country Hen farm in 1995 as the feed and operations manager. “It was a great fit that allowed me to put my experience with mechanical equipment to rewarding and spiritually fulfilling practical use,” says Bob.
Bob says he learned everything there is to know about caring for laying hens from the farm’s founder, George Bass, who spent a lifetime caring for farm animals. By age nine, George was raising a pig, some piglets, a steer, some turkeys, and laying hens on his family’s property in Bridgeton New Jersey. As an adult, George founded and ran a conventional egg production business called “The Golden Egg” for many years in Bogotá, Columbia. Looking forward to retirement, he sold that business and returned to the U.S.
“But George was never one to sit idle, and before long he decided he missed caring for animals and the farming lifestyle,” says Bob. “He started looking for a small farm to raise hens, and settled on Hubbardston, Massachusetts.”
Before the advent of the internet or social media, George included little notes, now called Farm News inserts, in each carton of eggs. Since 1989, these inserts have educated consumers on what makes The Country Hen farm’s eggs so special and what’s happening on the farm. “These inserts have been so successful, other producers have copied the practice,” says Bob. “That is the highest form of flattery.”
Ensuring the welfare of laying hen
George turned the farm over to Bob in 2003. Bob admits there have been a lot of changes in public perception, certification standards and egg safety regulations since then “that keeps us on our toes,” says Bob. “Cage-Free and Certified Organic egg production is very different and offers many more challenges than conventional production. We strive to meet or exceed the exacting standards for egg safety set down by the FDA, and the standards required to be certified organic through the USDA, and to meet or exceed all rules, regulations and civic responsibilities that are unique to our location.”
For example, Bob says the farm is extra vigilant in preventing contamination of the soil and groundwater from things like nitrogen, phosphorus, Salmonella Enteriditis and other biological contaminants that can be very harmful to human health and the environment. So, they created a manure management program to prevent contamination of the groundwater.
The need to prevent contamination of the water inspired the development of their “porch system,” which provides safe outdoor access for the hens on specially-designed raised, wooden porches. These porches manage the manure safely by virtually eliminating all risk of run-off carrying any contaminants into the public drinking water supply. “The most fundamental basic purpose behind organic farming is and has always been a crusade to preserve natural resources of soil, water and air,” says Bob.
The farm also implements stringent biosecurity measures to preserve the health and well-being of their laying hens. They developed a tiered biosecurity system that not only shelters their hens from exposure to disease but responds to changes in the threat levels that come twice a year with the annual migration of wild waterfowl that are known carriers of Avian Influenza and other devastating diseases.
“In our efforts to ramp up our biosecurity during the Avian Influenza endemic of 2015, we left no stone unturned when exploring ways to keep our ladies safe from their wild waterfowl cousins migrating overhead,” says Bob. “We purchased some coyote decoy manikins to deter waterfowl from coming too close to the man-made pond that serves as a source of water for firefighters to use in the event of a fire. It seemed to be working well enough as we saw no geese or ducks landing near the water after we positioned our artificial “guard dogs.” It turns out that turkeys are a bit more difficult to fool. They decided the decoy coyote manikins were very comfortable places to perch and they sat right on top of them. We had to add a few fake owls, and some Mylar balloons that look like giant eyes to encourage the turkeys to move along elsewhere.”
Meeting Certified Humane Animal Care Standards
The staff inspect the hen’s living environment multiple times each day, monitoring and recording ambient temperature, air quality, feed levels, and water quality. Blood tests are conducted at intervals during the hen’s development, and all of this is reviewed and checked regularly by a veterinarian.
When The Country Hen farm joined the Certified Humane program in 2017, Bob said “the standards and mission of Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) might well have been modeled after the practices and procedures we have had in place all along. It certainly is not difficult to comply with HFAC’s Animal Care Standards that were already and had always been standard operating procedures here. The hens are our operation. We rely on them for our livelihood, and without them we’re nothing. Keeping them safe, happy, and healthy is our top priority.”
Another way The Country Hen farm keeps hens healthy and happy is by operating an on-site mill, which combines locally-sourced certified organic ingredients to create a proprietary blend of certified organic feed. The feed formulas designed by George Bass, with the help of specialists in human and animal nutrition working and testing tirelessly for countless hours, are all designed to provide optimum nutrition for their hens at every stage of their development and growth.
“We do not wonder what our girls are eating or drinking, or if they are getting appropriate nutrition,” says Bob.” “We know what they are eating, how old or fresh the feed might be and from whence each ingredient came. We inspect each ingredient and samples are tested at the time of delivery to be sure it is top quality.”
As a result, Bob says their eggs provide all three Omega-3s (DHA, EPA, ALA) and impressive amounts of Vitamin D, Choline, Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
Employing family and local residents to work on the farm
Some of the farm’s 35 employees are residents, some are family members who work in any capacity as needed. “Nepotism may not be ideal in other types of industry, but it works splendidly on a farm,” says Bob. “Not only do siblings, children, grandchildren and other extended family members tend to jump right in to help each other out when needed, there is also the added benefit or coincidence that all seem to share the same understanding and love of the farming lifestyle and the same compassion for animals.”
As a major employer in Hubbardston, The Country Hen farm has been recognized by the community for numerous contributions and volunteer work. In 2017, Bob himself was the recipient of the town’s prestigious Citizen of the Year award on behalf of the farm’s community service in Hubbardston.
The Country Hen farm eggs are sold in more than 20 states up and down the East Coast and as far west as California. They are sold in cartons of six rather than by the dozen.
Visit Certified Humane’s “Where to Buy” page or download the free Certified Humane app to find stores near you where you can purchase Country Hen Farm eggs and support a Certified Humane farm.
For more information, visit The Country Hen farm.